Combustion engine



Feb. 10, 193i. F. R. CHAUDE- COMBUSTION- ENGINE Filed Sept. 22. 192'.

WATER fvsL CONDEA/SED'WAT'ER Patented Feb. l), 1931 rss marsa FELIX R. CHAUDET, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI COMBUSTION ENG-INE Application led September My invention relates to internal combustion engines, and more particularly to an internal combustion engine in which steam is injected into the cylinder during the working 5 stroke, and the water vapor oir' the exhaust gases is condensed and again utilized for generating steam and for cooling purposes.

The object of my invention is to recover a portion of the waste heat of the exhaust gases and utilize it for generating steam.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for condensing the water vaporr of the exhaust gases and return it to the waterjacket of the engine Jfor the dual purpose of cooling the engine and of generating steam.

Other objects and advantages oi my invention will be disclosed in the description, claims and drawings.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an engine and condenser, showing my improvement.

F ig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of a cylinder showing my method of generating steam by passing the exhaust pipe through the water-j acket.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of my condenser, partly broken away;

l't is well known that the average thermal eiliciency ot combustion engines Operating 30 upon the Otto cycle is about 20%, the other 80% of the heat of combustion being dissipated by means of convecting currents of air, by radiation and exhaust losses, some authorities declaring the losses to the exhaust to be equal to one-halt of the heat generated by combustion. It is the purpose of my invention to conserve as tar as possible the waste heat of the exhaust gases.

Itis well understood that in the combustion of hydrocarbon fuel, the hydrogen content of the fuel unites with the oxygen of the air in the exact proportion necessary to produce water vapor, so that for every gallon of gaso 45 line burned, about five quarts ot water are discharged from the exhaust pipe. It is my purpose to condense the water vapor of the exhaust and make it available for use in the radiator and water-jacket to cool the engine, 50 so that it will be possible for a motor to 22, 1927. Serial No. 221,383.

cross the Sahara Desert without carrying additional water supply. y

Another purpose of condensing the water vapor of the exhaust is to convert it into steam yto be injected into the working cylin-Av der during the working stroke, thereby to increase the ei'iiciency of the motor.

lt is, ci course, understood that the steam so inyected will be superheated to a point where the steam pressure will begreater than the pressure of combustion at t ie instant the steam lis injected into the cylinder.

To accomplish the above-outlined results, the normal waterj acket 1 has been sufiiciently enlarged to constitute a steamboiler, while the exhaust pipe 2 is wound around the cylinder 3, but spaced apart therefrom a suiiicient distance to permit of water circulating between the cylinder wall and theY exhaust pipe. After the exhaust pipe'has been coiled around the cylinder, it passes through the Waterjacket 1 into the condenser 5, where it is again turned into a plurality of coils 6 to permit of theV largest possible cooling surface. rlhe exhaust is then discharged into a reservoir 7, as indicated at 8, the exhaust gases being discharged lrrom the chamber 7 through a pipe 9, the condensed water being led back by the pipe 10, to a suitable pump 11, which pumps it back into the water-jacket as indicated at 12.

In operation only the lower portion of the water-jacket is filled with water, the water line being intermediate of the ends o the working cylinder. One or more coils ot the exhaust pipe are thereby submerged in water which causes the water to boil and generate a vapor, which in turn contacts with the upper coils oi the exhaust manifold, .which are, necessarily, at a. much higher temperature thereby superheating the steam and raising a pressure greater than the pressure normally obtaining during the working stroke of the motor, hence the upper portion of the waterjacket, indicated as 18, becomes a steam dome wherein the steam is superheated.

A Vvalve mechanism, consist-ing ot a plunger 1A, operated by cams 15, is so designed that at every working stroke, the steam duct 16 registers with the port 17, permitting the passage of steam through the port 17, through the duct 1G, and the port 18 into the Working cylinder during trie Working stroke thereof.

My engine is equipped with a proper lubricating system, intake manifold7 and all other necessary and compone it parts of a combustion engine, these portions being neither shown or claimed as new.

The operation of the motor having been clearly disclosed in the speciiication, what I claim as new and useful and desire to protect v by Letters Patent is l. A combustion engine ,having av Water- ]'acketed cylinder having a piston reciprocable therein, means for condensing Water from the exhausted from said engine, means for discharging a portion of said condensed water into the Water-jacket of said cylinder, means for generating steam Within said Water-jacket, means for superheating the steam Within said Water-jacket, means for injecting said superheated steam into the cylinder of said engine during the Working stroke of the piston.

2. A combustion engine of the class de scribed, having a Water-jacketed cylinder and a piston reciprocable therein, meanslor transmitting .heat from the exhaust gases of said engine to Water Within the Water-jacket of said engine, means for maintaining Water in said Water-jacket at a substantially pre-de termined water level whereby the upper portion of the Water-jacket will function as a steam dome, means for transmitting heat from the exhaust gases of said engine to the said upper portion of said Water-jacket whereby the Water Vapor rising from the Water in said Water-jacket will be converted into superheated steam, means for conducting and discharging said superheated steam into the cylinder' of said engine during the Working stroke of the piston thereby to increase the pressure against the piston toimpel it upon its Working stroke.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto a'llixed my signature this 13th day of September,

FELIX R. CHAUDET. 

